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EARL SWEATSHIRT review and photo by Candace McDuffie
HIGHLIGHT
Odd Future MC’s unstoppable flow and makeshift moshpits.
42 DECEMBER 2013 - JANUARY 2014 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
October 6, 2013 The Sinclair – Cambridge, MA
It seems like the last thing you would expect at an Earl Sweatshirt concert is whimsy. His voice is a finely cadenced instrument; his lyrical content is menacing but matter of fact, and the complex arc of his artistry is almost fictional. Perhaps the rave reviews of his first full-length album, Doris, are the cause for such palpable elation that resonated throughout his show. One of Odd Future’s more talented MCs, Earl’s content and delivery of bars is dervish, but could be gruesome if put in the wrong hands. At a sold-out Sinclair, he was practically bouncing off the walls alongside musical cohort Vince Staples as he abrasively performed some cuts off of Doris and a few Odd Future tunes. “OJ” had no problem
placing its playful pulse on the crowd. “Molasses” satisfied some of our more hedonistic impulses. “Whoa” was full of call and response, but the standout performance of the evening was “Chum.” Before jumping into the deeply desolate song, Earl jokingly stated that the energy of the crowd was going to nosedive, going from about a 10 to a 4 and specifically requested blue lighting to place us in the right (solemn) frame of mind. Between the makeshift moshpits and Earl’s unstoppable flow, it’s only a matter of time before he sells out another Boston venue. www.earlsweatshirt.com